I'm putting up all the pictures I've taken so far on Christmas break.
Just because I love y'all, my loyal readers. (Or reader. I have no idea how many.)
Pre-Christmas
Made goodie boxes for the family -- coconut macaroons, peppermint bark, chocolate-almond clusters.
I swear, every time I make peppermint bark, something always goes wrong (the dark chocolate melting when I spread the white chocolate, and coloring the white chocolate layer; or the white chocolate hardening too early and not spreading onto the dark chooclate), but sprinkling crushed candy canes over everything covers it all up.
Seriously. Candy canes = food band-aid.
Christmas Eve at Gu Ma's
We ate at San Gu Ma's (third aunt) house. Me and my dad were the first to arrive; then Solomon (my cousin), his wife Linda, and her sister Cheri came.
Passed out my treat boxes. (Note to self: be sure to tell people that this stuff is homemade. Otherwise people assume I bought it at Target for $1.99. lol)
Cousin Amanda came home from her awesome job at Bumble and bumble in New York to cook us dinner (here she's making latkes).
Asian fusion. Latkes with applesauce, white and green beans with onions, cinnamon-maple spiced carrots (SO good).
Saba (mackerel, seasoned to perfection), and San Gu Zhang's (third uncle) unbelievably delicious roast pork.
San Gu Ma, dad, Shi Buo Buo (tenth uncle), Jimmy, Amanda
I love my family. San Gu Zhang couldn't figure out how to use Linda's bluetooth earpiece, so he was holding it while on the phone. Slightly defeats the purpose, don't you think?
Post-dinner carnage.
Bridget arrived late, since she had to work that night (I know! Ridicc!).
Christmas Day!
Linda, Solomon, Jimmy, his dad (Shi Buo Buo) and I went looking for a good place to have brunch. (Actually, by the time we found a place, Hing Lung in Chinatown, we'd already been to Emeryville and Oakland.) So it was more like a late lunch.
Jimmy was fascinated by the color accent feature on my camera.
Hing Lung has the best food. Pan-fried chow mein (Hong Kong style, baby!), shrimp wonton, clams.
Then we drove up to the Golden Gate bridge to sightsee.
Oh, FYI: the view is absolutely breathtaking.
In case that one picture wasn't enough to convince you ...
Cousins!
Later, everybody arrived at our house for Christmas dinner!
San Gu Ma, Amanda, Jimmy, Solomon, Shi Buo Buo.
I think we had something like four families under the same roof. I love it.
Dad, Bridget, Shi Buo Buo, Puo Puo (Amanda's dad's mom, I think), San Gu Zhang.
The feast! Trader Joe's sparkling cranberry juice, sweet teriyaki-marinated sea bass, garlicky napa cabbage, shen gua with gan bei (brought by Shi Buo Buo's family), cold antipasti platter with roast beef, shrimp, marinated seaweed and white asparagus (brought by San Gu Zhang's family), seaweed salad, sou si ji (chicken), Tejava iced tea.
Oh, and fei ju yuk, fatty pork marinated in a sweet wine sauce. The flavor is so rich and intense and delicious.
My plate. Don't worry, I got plenty of seconds and thirds.
We all gathered around the fireplace to chat and snack.
Roasted chestnuts (they were HUGE) and purple yams (they got a little burnt on the outside).
Our silver-and-blue tree! I don't think Bridget or my dad realized these are, like, Hanukkah colors. lol.
Jimmy cracked up after seeing that picture. And Amanda was excited to open her present!
Oh lawdy. That has to be the single most unattractive picture of me I've ever seen. Note to self: tuck in chin. and sit up straight.
Shoes!
Nordstrom Rack is my favorite place to go for shoes. I got these black Guess peep-toes ...
... and these silvery BCBG pointy pumps.
Yay for four-inch heels that I'll probably never wear.
It's OK, they'll go on my shoe rack and make me happy every time I open my closet.
New top from American Eagle!
Lis, this definitely took me more than an hour. But it's so fulfilling to finally click 'Publish Post,' even if it's 11:43 PM.
Night!
♥ Tiff
Just because I love y'all, my loyal readers. (Or reader. I have no idea how many.)
Pre-Christmas
Made goodie boxes for the family -- coconut macaroons, peppermint bark, chocolate-almond clusters.
I swear, every time I make peppermint bark, something always goes wrong (the dark chocolate melting when I spread the white chocolate, and coloring the white chocolate layer; or the white chocolate hardening too early and not spreading onto the dark chooclate), but sprinkling crushed candy canes over everything covers it all up.
Seriously. Candy canes = food band-aid.
Christmas Eve at Gu Ma's
We ate at San Gu Ma's (third aunt) house. Me and my dad were the first to arrive; then Solomon (my cousin), his wife Linda, and her sister Cheri came.
Passed out my treat boxes. (Note to self: be sure to tell people that this stuff is homemade. Otherwise people assume I bought it at Target for $1.99. lol)
Cousin Amanda came home from her awesome job at Bumble and bumble in New York to cook us dinner (here she's making latkes).
Asian fusion. Latkes with applesauce, white and green beans with onions, cinnamon-maple spiced carrots (SO good).
Saba (mackerel, seasoned to perfection), and San Gu Zhang's (third uncle) unbelievably delicious roast pork.
San Gu Ma, dad, Shi Buo Buo (tenth uncle), Jimmy, Amanda
I love my family. San Gu Zhang couldn't figure out how to use Linda's bluetooth earpiece, so he was holding it while on the phone. Slightly defeats the purpose, don't you think?
Post-dinner carnage.
Bridget arrived late, since she had to work that night (I know! Ridicc!).
Christmas Day!
Linda, Solomon, Jimmy, his dad (Shi Buo Buo) and I went looking for a good place to have brunch. (Actually, by the time we found a place, Hing Lung in Chinatown, we'd already been to Emeryville and Oakland.) So it was more like a late lunch.
Jimmy was fascinated by the color accent feature on my camera.
Hing Lung has the best food. Pan-fried chow mein (Hong Kong style, baby!), shrimp wonton, clams.
Then we drove up to the Golden Gate bridge to sightsee.
Oh, FYI: the view is absolutely breathtaking.
Cousins!
Later, everybody arrived at our house for Christmas dinner!
San Gu Ma, Amanda, Jimmy, Solomon, Shi Buo Buo.
I think we had something like four families under the same roof. I love it.
Dad, Bridget, Shi Buo Buo, Puo Puo (Amanda's dad's mom, I think), San Gu Zhang.
The feast! Trader Joe's sparkling cranberry juice, sweet teriyaki-marinated sea bass, garlicky napa cabbage, shen gua with gan bei (brought by Shi Buo Buo's family), cold antipasti platter with roast beef, shrimp, marinated seaweed and white asparagus (brought by San Gu Zhang's family), seaweed salad, sou si ji (chicken), Tejava iced tea.
Oh, and fei ju yuk, fatty pork marinated in a sweet wine sauce. The flavor is so rich and intense and delicious.
My plate. Don't worry, I got plenty of seconds and thirds.
We all gathered around the fireplace to chat and snack.
Roasted chestnuts (they were HUGE) and purple yams (they got a little burnt on the outside).
Our silver-and-blue tree! I don't think Bridget or my dad realized these are, like, Hanukkah colors. lol.
Jimmy cracked up after seeing that picture. And Amanda was excited to open her present!
Oh lawdy. That has to be the single most unattractive picture of me I've ever seen. Note to self: tuck in chin. and sit up straight.
Shoes!
Nordstrom Rack is my favorite place to go for shoes. I got these black Guess peep-toes ...
... and these silvery BCBG pointy pumps.
Yay for four-inch heels that I'll probably never wear.
It's OK, they'll go on my shoe rack and make me happy every time I open my closet.
New top from American Eagle!
Lis, this definitely took me more than an hour. But it's so fulfilling to finally click 'Publish Post,' even if it's 11:43 PM.
Night!
♥ Tiff
